LINK Fall 2013

A PUBLICATION FOR SAIT POLYTECHNIC ALUMNI

FALL 2013

THE FLOOD THROUGH LENSES

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ADMINISTRATIVE EVOLUTION

Shelter from the storm ALUMNI IN THIS ISSUE: SHANNON BARTLETT (OADM ’98), JOAQUIN BENITEZ (CVT ’86), EUGENE BLANCHARD (BXT ’91), ANNA BRATLAND (CTSR ’04), VIC CLOSE (BA ’75), GRAHAM COSKEY (PET ’10), DARRELL COX (ACPP ’82), HEATHER CULBERT (CT ’79), JOEL DESJARDINE (CET’11, EDT ’13), DYLAN DESMARAIS (NNT ‘08), AMIR SHAH DURRANI (BAPT ’03), GORD FLATERUD (PLCC ’89), NABILA GUELLI (PCK ’08), CINDY GILLIES (CTSR ‘02), STUART GRADON (JA ‘04), DREW GREGORY (GNT ’05), GLENN HEDDERICK (ELP ’99), ROBERT HENRY (HEAVY DUTY MECHANIC ’69), DEBBIE IRONSIDE (BA ’92), SHIVA JAHANSHA (RTBN ’03), VALERIA JUVANOVA (PKC ‘11), DEAN KANUIT (PKC ‘88), GLENN KELLY (JA ‘13), CHAD KLEPAYCHUK (ARFP ’12), LYNETTE LEFSRUD (BA ’97), HALEY LONSDALE (HMGT ’10), TANYA LOWRY (NÉE WILLIAMS) (CTSR ’87), THUY LE LUONG (PKC ‘01), MIKE MCAINSH (IT ’06), CAM MCDOWELL (BA ’02), SHARON MCREE (RT ’94), LEN PERRY (CTSR ’81), SHAUN ROBINSON (RTBN ‘05), ROB SADOWSKI (AMAP ’80, AMWP ’86), KELVIN SO (PKC ‘01), GREG SUTTON (WET ’95), CALIN WAY (RTBN ’10), GAIA WILLIS (RTBN ‘09), MICHAEL WRENCH (PKC ‘98) link 1

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SAITALUMNILINK.CA

FEATURES

The kitchen garden 10 Jackson’s Garden on SAIT’s campus is growing culinary students who know which end of a Lovage is up.

WRITTEN BY | DONNA BALZER

SAIT is bucking the postsecondary trend seeing campuses seeking university status. U of SAIT? No thanks, say SAIT executives.

WRITTEN BY | MICHELLE WOODARD

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Office evolution 18

Professional administrators have moved out of the steno pool and into the boardroom.

WRITTEN BY | JEREMY KLAZSUS

Flood refuge 22

When flood waters threatened communities across the province, SAIT stepped up to offer evacuees shelter in the storm.

WRITTEN BY | CARLY MCONACHIE

SHARED COMMUNITY 3 LINK NEWS & VIEWS

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People, programs, partners and perks on campus 29 LINK INSPIRATION

Alumni in the community 39 INNOVATION

Applied research and innovations THEN AND NOW

ON THE COVER

SAIT alumnus Shaun Robinson took this portrait to capture the sense of community in the clean up efforts. It’s a theme that runs throughout this issue.

42 CALENDAR OF EVENTS A PUBLICATI ON FOR SAIT POLYTECH NIC ALUMNI

44 FLASHBACK

FALL 2013

46 CLASS NOTES

Little Miss SAIT

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WHAT’S THIS? When you see this icon, called a QR code, use your smart phone to access our website for more on the story. QR what? Don’t worry; you can still get there online at saitalumnilink.ca

45 ACHIEVEMENTS

48 FIRST PERSON

200,000

Polytechnic, please 14

THE FLOOD THROUGH LENSES

3

ADMINISTRA EVOLUTION TIVE

Shelterf r frrom the stormom

ALUMNI IN THIS ISSUE: SHANNON BARTLETT BRATLAND (CTSR ’04), (OADM VIC DESJARDINE (CET’11, EDT CLOSE (BA ’75), GRAHAM’98), JOAQUIN BENITEZ GUELLI (PCK ’13), DYLAN (CVT COSKEY (PET ’08), CINDY DESMARAIS ’10), DARRELL ’86), EUGENE BLANCHA ROBERT HENRY GILLIES (CTSR (NNT ‘08), RD COX (ACPP AMIR SHAH ’82), HEATHER (BXT ’91), ANNA DURRANI (BAPT DEAN KANUIT (HEAVY DUTY MECHANIC‘02), STUART GRADON CULBERT (JA ‘04), DREW (PKC ‘88), GLENN ’03), ’69), DEBBIE ’10), TANYA GREGORY (GNT GORD FLATERUD (PLCC(CT ’79), JOEL IRONSIDE (BA KELLY (JA LOWRY (NÉE ‘13), CHAD ’92), SHIVA ’89), NABILA ’05), GLENN MCREE (RT WILLIAMS) KLEPAYCH JAHANSH HEDDERICK ’94), LEN PERRY (CTSR ’87), (ELP ’99), THUY LE LUONG UK (ARFP ’12), LYNETTE A (RTBN ’03), VALERIA GREG SUTTON (CTSR ’81), (WET ’95), LEFSRUD (BA JUVANOVA (PKC ‘01), MIKE SHAUN ROBINSON CALIN WAY (PKC ‘11), ’97), HALEY MCAINSH (IT (RTBN ‘05), (RTBN ’10), LONSDALE ’06), CAM MCDOWEL ROB SADOWSK GAIA WILLIS (HMGT I (AMAP (RTBN ‘09), L (BA ’02), MICHAEL WRENCH ’80, AMWP ’86), SHARON KELVIN SO (PKC ‘98) (PKC ‘01),

link 1 link 1

link EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Brian Bowman MANAGING EDITOR

Susan Mainella ONLINE EDITOR

Amanda Knoss EDITOR

Carolynn Semeniuk

Overflowing pride MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SAID THAT THE MEASURE OF A MAN IS NOT HOW HE BEHAVES IN MOMENTS OF COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE, but how he stands at times of challenge. During the summer of 2013, as rivers spilled their banks in communities across Southern Alberta, we learned this is also the measure of a community.

When the flood waters subsided and revealed the massive devastation to homes, businesses and infrastructure, our communities rose to the occasion. The response was staggering. Volunteers took to the streets by the thousands, ready to dig out contaminated silt and haul construction debris or provide food and water to hungry workers.

Companies halted production to mobilize employees for the volunteer effort and individual community members dropped everything to help out. Stories of everyday heroics in the face of challenge abound.

In this issue of LINK, we explore some of those stories within the SAIT community. On page 22 we look at SAIT's response to the flood crisis, and at how members of the SAIT community stepped up to offer other Calgarians shelter in the storm on campus, even as their own homes were threatened by flood waters.

We take you to a saturated basement in a

YOUR PRIVACY AND SAIT ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT

WHO HAS ACCESS TO MY INFORMATION? Only individuals working or volunteering for SAIT, who have signed a non-disclosure agreement, and who have a specific need to see your contact information for alumni, marketing or development purposes have access to your personal information.

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No. SAIT Alumni and Development enters into partnerships to provide benefits and services to its members and releases contact information to only these partners.

SAIT is at all times responsible for safeguarding your information.

I PREFER NOT TO BE PHONED AND I ONLY WANT TO RECEIVE CERTAIN KINDS OF MAIL — WHAT DO I DO? Contact us at 403.284.7040 or alumni@sait.ca. It is our responsibility to ensure that your information is accurate and treated

CONTRIBUTORS

High River home where one SAIT alumnus leads a crew helping another SAIT grad dig out a mountain of silt. And on page 37 we introduce you to a crew of eight SAIT electrical instructors who logged a collective 140 hours to restore electricity to the Children’s Cottage Nursery in Bridgeland after flood damage destroyed the electrical panel and closed the nursery doors.

Of course, we also have plenty of news from the campus and the SAIT alumni family. In our feature “Blooming chefs,” we explore Jackson’s Garden, and weigh in on the role of this garden in cultivating skilled chefs. We also bring you stories about major milestones at SAIT – the convocation of SAIT’s 200,000th grad and the celebration of 25 years of Distinguished Alumni Awards and five years of Outstanding Young Alumni Awards. It’s a time to congratulate the 2013 recipients and to show our pride in those who have gone before.

The esteem we feel for our alumni and the SAIT family is the central thread running through all the editions of LINK. In this issue, as we discover the ways our community has pulled together in the wake of disaster, you'll see our pride saturate the pages of the magazine. Our cup runneth over.

BRIAN BOWMAN DIRECTOR, ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT

according to your wishes.

THE OFFICIAL WORD SAIT’s Alumni and Development department collects information on behalf of SAIT, under the authority of Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the PostSecondary Learning Act, for the purposes of administering alumni relations, marketing and development programs for SAIT. Any information submitted by an individual to SAIT may be used to update his or her record.

Information gathered for these purposes will be protected, disclosed and used in compliance with Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Individuals who submit information to the Alumni and Development department acknowledge the above and consent to the collection of personal information.

For more information or to make changes to your record, please contact SAIT Alumni and Development at 403.284.7040 or alumni@sait.ca.

Donna Balzer, Rich Castillo, Greg Fulmes, Carissa Halton, Todd Kimberley, Jeremy Klazsus, Kate Kunz, Carly McConochie, Shaun Robinson, Eric Rosenbaum, Julie Sengl, Heather Setka, Nicole Shepherd, Christie Simmons, George Webber, Michelle Woodard DESIGN & PRODUCTION

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Mitchell Press Ltd. The LINK is published three times a year by SAIT Alumni and Development as a service to SAIT alumni, donors, students, partners, faculty and staff.

LINK invites your advertising, letters to the editor and comments. Please direct them to alumni@sait.ca.

LINK SAIT Alumni and Development 1301 - 16 Avenue NW Calgary, AB T2M 0L4 Ph: 403.284.7010 (address updates) 403.284.8279 For all other inquiries Fax: 403.284.8394 Email: alumni@sait.ca saitalumnilink.ca Publications Mail Agreement No.40064317 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department 1301 - 16 Ave. NW Calgary, AB T2M 0L4 Cover by Shaun Robinson

LINK NEWS & VIEWS HOMEWORK BY THE TRUCKLOAD: It’s not often students need a flatbed truck to move a class project after it’s complete, but that’s what happens when School of Construction students finish their assignments in SAIT’s new Founding Builders Home Lab. The first 1200-sq-ft modular home, constructed in part by Civil Engineering Technology and Architectural Technology students was ready for delivery to SAIT’s industry partner last June.

Students will use the Home Lab to construct up to six homes per year.

ARIS TRACKS THE TRACKERS: SAIT Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) researchers got a vote of confidence this year from the international agency that oversees animal tracking.

SAIT’s RFID lab has been the first lab outside of Europe and the third lab in the world to be accredited by this agency to test and certify animal tracking equipment.

OUTREACH EXCELLENCE: Last June, the Trojan Outreach Program, which sees athletes, coaches and teams giving back to the community through charitable causes, received it’s third prestigious Community Service Award from the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association. No other institute among the CCAA’s 100-plus, coast-to-coast membership has won the CCAA Community Service Award on three separate occasions.

200,000 GRADS P5 AWARD ANNIVERSARY P6 STUDENT RESEARCH SHOWCASE P9

CULINARY MUSCLE AT THE GRILL: When the owners of the Brooks Hotel and a group from the Stavely and Brooks Elks Clubs decided to set up a few BBQs to feed flood clean up crews in High River, they had no idea of the calibre of volunteer that would grace their grills. A crew of ten high profile SAIT Professional Cooking instructors, alumni, students and staff — as well as the Dean of the School — teamed up with family and friends to lend some culinary muscle to the endeavour . The crews fed up to 1,800 people per day in the hardest hit part of the community.

HELPING IN A SMALL WORLD: Members of SAIT’s Corporate Training team found themselves helping one of our own when they travelled to High River to volunteer with flood recovery efforts in July. The team arrived in the community ready to help when they met a resident whose home was virtually destroyed. The crew got to work on his home, tearing out flooring, cabinets and siding. As they worked together, the SAIT crew learned the home owner they were helping was a SAIT grad.

SAIT updates link 3

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Publication : SAIT Alumni Magazine Format : 7x4.75 Couleur : Quad

Date de tombée : 21/11/2012 Graphiste : Yannick Decosse

Join us as we celebrateHamelin ASET's 50th•Anniversary on September 28, 2013. (Québec) H3A 3C2 • T : 514 842 4416 F : 514 844 9343 Martineau 505, boul. de Maisonneuve O. Bureau 300 • Montréal This black-tie gala will feature a cocktail: reception, dinner, and entertainment.

ATTENTION Merci de vérifier attentivement cette épreuve afin d’éviter toute erreur.

ASET's annual award winners will also be honoured at this event.

September 28, 2013, at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald Edmonton, AB | Cocktails at 6pm | Dinner at 7pm

Purchase your tickets online from www.aset.ab.ca/aset50 Limited seating available. Please contact Jennifer Bertrand at 780.425.0626 or jenniferb@aset.ab.ca if you have any questions or require assistance with your ticket purchase.

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LINK NEWS & VIEWS

David Ross, President and CEO of SAIT Polytechnic, congratulates Joel DesJardine during convocation ceremonies on May 30, 2013. When DesJardine crossed the stage at the Jubilee Auditorium, he became SAIT’s 200,000 graduate. The institute’s first graduate was part of the class of 1917, when SAIT was called the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art.

SAIT GRADUATION MILESTONE

and counting

GEORGE WEBBER PHOTO

J

oel DesJardine (CET’11, EDT ’13) was all smiles as he walked across the Jubilee Auditorium stage last May. Not only was he proud to be graduating from SAIT Polytechnic, he was extra proud to be the 200,000th grad to join the SAIT alumni family.

As he stepped forward to accept his diploma, he was greeted by a brief video fireworks display and a giant number “200,000” flashing on the huge screen at the back of the stage. SAIT’s academic staff and his fellow graduates let out a big cheer. “It was a little overwhelming,” says DesJardine. “They let me know that there was to be some kind of recognition but I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

SAIT also marked the occasion by including DesJardine’s name on a brick on the tribute wall in front of Heritage Hall, as part of SAIT’s commemorative brick program.

It’s fitting that DesJardine is the graduate to mark this momentous milestone. He exemplifies tenacity, hard work and determination. He was born with a rare and debilitating neurological disorder called Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome. It hampers his ability to walk, disrupts some of his motor skills and presents minor learning disabilities. However, that didn’t stop him from setting career goals and attending SAIT to reach them. While in high school, DesJardine became interested in maps and city planning. He discovered that SAIT could not only supply him with an education, he could also receive assistance to help with his disability.

During his time at SAIT, Desjardine was assigned an advisor through the Centre for Academic Learner Services (CALS) who helped him address day-to-day matters including accessibility issues. SAIT provided other resources to help him reach graduation such as tutors and a scribe to assist with exams. “Without the accommodations, I wouldn’t have made it through,” says Desjardine.

DesJardine says being the 200,000th alumnus topped off an exciting month. Three weeks before graduation, he moved to Grande Prairie where he moved into an apartment and started a drafting job with an engineering company. He says coming back to Calgary for the graduation ceremony was the icing on the cake. “It’s great to represent SAIT and the graduating class of 2013,” he says.

“I’m proud to be a leader as well as to set an example for future graduates.“ ERIC ROSENBAUM

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LINK NEWS & VIEWS

(Left) A line up of Distinguished alumni: Dennis Chorney, Erich Binder, Heather Culbert, Norma Carroll and Al Browne.

(Right) Shiva Jahanshah, SAIT’s Outstanding Young Alumna for 2011, on the set at Shaw TV in Calgary.

ALUMNI AWARDS

Exemplary anniversaries

2013

marks the twenty-fifth year that SAIT has celebrated the outstanding achievements and contributions of individual members of its alumni through the Distinguished Alumni Award. It is also the fifth year the institute has honoured exceptional recent grads through its Outstanding Young Alumni Award — those 35 years or younger who have graduated within the last 10 years.

Like many post secondary institutions, SAIT looks to its alumni as indication of its performance, says Brian Bowman, director of Alumni and Development. This group of exemplary alumni — community and industry leaders who have risen to the top of their professions — are a reflection of what SAIT is doing and has been doing for years. It’s really a win win, he says.

Both the Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Young Alumni awards recognize professional excellence, proven leadership skills and community involvement. But a big part of the award program’s intent is to recognize and encourage ongoing engagement with SAIT. For Bowman, it’s been particularly gratifying to see relationships solidifying between the younger and the more seasoned award recipients, which helps foster a strong SAIT community. “These are people who really are enthusiastic, engaged participants in building a great institution,” says Bowman. “It’s a tremendous community that continues to pay it forward. There’s a real sense of pride and humility that these people allow us to celebrate their successes and allow us to engage them in our ongoing activities.”

According to both Shiva Jahansha (RTBN ’03) Outstanding Young Alumna for 2011, and Heather Culbert (CT ’79), Distinguished Alumna for 2003,

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25 YEARS OF DISTINCTION DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a SAIT alumnus/a who demonstrates proven leadership skills, exceptional achievements in business or industry, outstanding contributions to the community, and a history of support for SAIT Polytechnic.

“ THERE’S A REAL SENSE OF PRIDE AND HUMILITY THAT THESE PEOPLE ALLOW US TO CELEBRATE THEIR SUCCESSES...”

(RIGHT) CLAUDIA KATZ PHOTO (LEFT) SERGEI BELSKI PHOTO

— BRIAN BOWMAN, DIRECTOR, SAIT ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT

SAIT, has played a pivotal role in their success. Being recognized by the institution that prepared them to succeed only fuels their desire to play an ongoing role in bolstering SAIT and spreading the word about what great things the institution has to offer.

“I have people all of the time asking me what program they should take to do what I do,” says Jahanasha of her role as senior reporter and producer with Shaw. “The answer is always SAIT. I love their programs and believe in what they do. What they do is put people to work.”

Culbert, who retired from a senior executive role in the oil and gas industry, now dedicates her time exclusively to not-for-profit organizations she believes nurture leaders who can step forward and really make a difference.

SAIT, she says, is top of her list. Having been president of SAIT’s alumni association, sat as Chair for the Promising Futures Campaign, been on the Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Young Alumni selection committee and having received the award herself, Culbert has a very clear view of the symbiotic nature of her relationship with SAIT. “I’m a strong believer in what SAIT is all about,” says Culbert. “They really do take it seriously when they say they want to ensure that every graduate is successful. SAIT always supported me in my career. They wanted to know what I was doing, how I was doing it and what we could do together to expand SAIT’s ongoing contribution to their graduates and their connection to the many opportunities in corporate Calgary.”

SAIT WILL ANNOUNCE THE RECIPIENTS OF ITS TWENTY-FIFTH DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD AND FIFTH OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD AT A CEREMONY THIS FALL.

2012 - DOUG RAMSAY (PT ‘77) 2011 - DENNIS CHORNEY (PT ‘75) 2011 - NORMA CARROLL HONOURARY ALUMNA 2010 - PAT MORROW (JA ‘73) 2009 - TOM MAURO (ACPP ‘77) 2008 - AL BROWNE (HMGT ‘72) 2007 - KEITH MACPHAIL (PT ‘81) 2006 - BEV LONGSTAFF (EGT ‘78) 2005 - CLAYTON CARROLL (AST ‘40) 2004 - AL SHORT (B.APP. (PETROLEUM) ‘99) 2003 - HEATHER CULBERT (CT ‘79) 2002 - MURRAY COBBE (PT ‘70) 2001 - BILL HARTMAN (PT ‘66) 2001 - FRANK DUFFIN (MMP ‘67, HDP ‘68) 2001 - PAUL CANEY (CTSR ‘89) 2000 - ROGER JARVIS HONOURARY ALUMNUS 2000 - ERICH BINDER (ACT ‘74) 1999 - HANK SWARTOUT (PT ‘72) 1999 - DAVID JOHNSON (PT ‘76) 1999 - DON GRAY (RET ‘71) 1998 - JAY WESTMAN (BSC ‘84) 1998 - DOUG FRASER (IIT ‘54) 1998 - DOUG CURRIE (MADM ‘70) 1996 - MEL SVENDSEN (AST ‘68) 1995 - STAN GRAD (PT ‘66) 1994 - ED TICKLES (EET ‘60) 1993 - SYD LOEPPKY (SVT ‘65) 1992 - DOROTHY LAWRENCE (DA ‘80) 1991 - GARY SAWKINS (CT ‘69) 1990 - HUGH CRAIG (IXT ‘30) 1989 - KEN KING (EMTP ‘82) 1988 - ART DIXON (WIRE ’42) OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI

The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes an alumnus/a who has graduated from SAIT in the last 10 years and is 35 years or younger, has proven leadership skills, exhibits exceptional achievements in their field of endeavour and demonstrates outstanding contributions to the community.

2012 - DESMOND NWAERONDU (BA ‘06) 2011 - SHIVA JAHANSHAH (CTSR ‘03) 2010 - MATT SQUIRES (HRM ‘01) 2009 - SMITA ACHARYYA (CTSR ‘00)

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LINK to your target market: Reach even more engaged and influencial readers by advertising with LINK and saitalumnilink.ca To book an ad, or for more information on digital or print LINK advertising, contact: James Foster, Senior Development Officer, Sponsorship 403.210.4322 james.foster@sait.ca

LINK NEWS & VIEWS

(Left to right) Richard Then, Ashley Kieran and Jeffery Perry show off the DIRTT Student Innovation Award that netted them a covetted spot at the Polytechnics Canada Applied Research Student Showcase in November.

POLYTECHNIC STUDENT SHOWCASE

Applying student innovations

RICH CASTILLO PHOTO

T

his November, some of Canada’s brightest and most innovative students will come together to showcase their most promising applied research projects when SAIT co-hosts Polytechnics Canada’s Applied Research Student Showcase.

The showcase is an annual event that supports Polytechnic Canada’s mandate to advance applied research and help bring products, technologies and services to market. Held on the campus of one of Polytechnics Canada’s 11 member institutions, the showcase brings together teams from each — JOE PETERMAN, COORDINATOR OF STUDENT INITIATIVES, ARIS institute to present an applied research project and represent their school in what SAIT’s Joe Peterman describes as a friendly Dragons-Denagainst each other. The winning team, Computer Systems students from SAIT’s like competition.

School of Information and Communications Technologies, took home a DIRTT Peterman, coordinator of student initiatives Student Innovation award worth $1,500 and won a place at the November 13 with Applied Research and Innovation Services and 14, 2013 showcase.

(ARIS)says the showcase gives students — and Richard Then (Computer Systems ‘13), a part of the three-member ultimately the institutions they represent — an winning team, says their project, Centralizing and Virtualizing Net-Zero Home opportunity to inspire and inform each other as Technologies, was the group’s capstone or final course project. It involved well as industry partners, and public and privateupgrading the outdated computer system in place in the Discovery 4 net-zero sector financial supporters. home that SAIT built in 2010. He and his team mates, Jeffrey Perry and Ashley “The showcase allows us to share some of our Kieran, developed and implemented a plan to upgrade the hardware used to best practices with institutions across the country track the home’s energy use. Then, they converted the system into a virtual and that can open the door to collaboration in the environment to centralize and streamline it, ensure it functioned and future. It also shows funders the impact the funding communicated accurately, and kept the data it tracked secure. dollars they’ve spent have had at a student level,” According to Then, the whole project has been a positive experience says Peterman. “Students are doing some really and presenting at the national showcase is an added bonus. amazing work. It’s fabulous for everyone for them “It means so much to me that I’m going to be representing SAIT,” says to share it.”

Then. “If it wasn’t for SAIT I wouldn’t be hired right now in a job I’m really This year, SAIT held a Student Project enjoying in a field that I love. It’s great that we can help show that SAIT is really Showcase to determine who would represent the growing and progressing with technology… We’re very much in a place of ideas.” school at the showcase, says Peterman. Five teams from five different schools within SAIT competed

BY CHRISTIE SIMMONS

“ THE SHOWCASE ALLOWS US TO SHARE SOME OF OUR BEST PRACTICES WITH INSTITUTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THAT CAN OPEN THE DOOR TO COLLABORATION IN THE FUTURE.”

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Blooming CHEFS Jackson’s Garden grows culinary expertise.

WRITTEN BY | DONNA BALZER

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FEATURE

Hamish Tregarthen, an apprentice chef in SAIT’s culinary program, volunteers in Jackson’s Garden because he believes “it’s important to know where your food comes from.”

T

his spring, chef and SAIT culinary instructor Andrew Hewson proudly shows me his weeds.

Only a chef could see the benefits of growing weeds like stinging nettle. “In September we’ll harvest it, blanch it and freeze it. Then we’ll use it in purées, soups or risotto,” he says as he tours me by the nettles strategically planted along the perimeter fence of the Jackson Henuset Memorial Culinary Garden on the SAIT campus.

Give a regular gardener a weed and there will be complaints. Give the same thing to a chef and there will be cheers and freezers full of puréed nettle. Chefs know food and gardeners know gardens but chefs who garden see endless possibilities. It’s the reason why Jackson’s Garden on the SAIT campus is so important to culinary students, says Hewson.

“If someone is only collecting knowledge then they will never truly understand unless they participate in the practical application of that knowledge.”

Apprentice cook Hamish Tregarthen agrees with Hewson and talks about plants picked from the garden for use in class. He says they picked nasturtium leaves and used them as a floating lily pad in a frog-leg consumé in class this spring. “It was extremely creative.”

Tregarthen loves the idea of the garden as outdoor classroom. “I think it is important to know where food comes from.”

Four years after the launch Jackson’s Garden, an outdoor classroom and demonstration site for chefs and their apprentices at SAIT, Tregarthen is poised to write his red seal exams and he has nothing but praise for his instructors and the garden on campus. A lawn transformed into a garden, a hyper-efficient greenhouse, and maturing fruit trees producing apples, saskatoons, cherries and honeyberries make instructors and students beam. link 11

BLOOMING CHEFS

One of the jewels of the garden, completed this spring after four years under construction, is the new bubble greenhouse. “On campus, a $400 million project (the Trades and Technology Complex) was built faster than this tiny greenhouse,” laughs Hewson. The greenhouse’s high-tech features were designed with cooperation from other departments on campus.

Hot water, heated from solar panels and waste biodiesel, warms the soil in the greenhouse.

The temperature of each bed is carefully controlled, and new “bubble” technology provides R30 insulation to keep the greenhouse warm in winter and cool in summer.

W

hen Jackson’s Garden first opened it was a bit unusual — even now no other culinary schools in Canada boast a full kitchen garden. “Schools have potted plants (Charlottetown in PEI) or beds with assorted herbs (Malasapina on Vancouver Island) but we have the ultimate kitchen garden,” says Hewson. “It’s got everything you can imagine.”

SAIT’s food garden is maturing nicely and producing unusual crops (see sidebar) but even simple foods like salad have taken on a whole new meaning. Hewson and students were harvesting baby lettuce in a “spring explosion of colors” out of the greenhouse, even after Calgary’s floods closed highways and left stores with food “outages” this June.

In the past, when SAIT instructors asked chef apprentices to get fresh vegetables from the school’s large walk-in coolers, they sometimes received blank stares.

Names and appearances of vegetables were a mystery to many students. “The main reason we put so much extra time into the garden is to simply connect our students to the food. It’s one thing to teach them the skills of how to cook but a whole other thing to teach them about FOOD…” says Hewson.

Hewson, and fellow Chef/Instructor Simon Dunne and summer horticulture 12

intern, Allyse Gluting, direct SAIT apprentice chefs in planting the garden “It’s terrifying that chefs in training don’t know food,” says Hewson. “I just took it for granted when I was in training but a lot of our students haven’t had any experience.”

We watch an apprentice pick and taste lovage — or “super celery” — as Hewson calls the hardy herb, already a metre tall by mid-May. Hewson smiles and comments about flavor memories. He likes seeing students taste plants in the garden and subconsciously register that taste for future cooking endeavours.

Gluting is a graduate of the horticulture program at Olds College and joined SAIT as the annual summer garden intern.

She runs the planting bee like a chef runs a busy kitchen. Directing the volunteers is an exercise in organized chaos. “I’m so excited to have you all here… write your plant tags first… then plant your rows,” she barks in staccato style as the students assemble in groups of three and start planting. Her comment “If you can read you can plant” brings giggles.

“Success for us is seeing the excitement and confidence in our students when they go to the garden to harvest something to use in their dish,” says Hewson. “Sometimes we’ll see students walking around tasting, smelling different items and talking about how it could be incorporated into an

idea. The next level of success is seeing our students (present and graduated) getting into gardening at home and encouraging their chefs/restaurants to start some type of garden (roof top, community) or buying more from local farmers.”

One small business person buying food from local farmers and reselling to chefs is Rudy Knitel. “We are like a flea riding on top of an elephant,” Knitel says of his company Galimax Trading, comparing it with bigger food suppliers in Alberta. Knitel buys fresh food from local farmers in Southern Alberta and pre-sells it to chefs so nothing is wasted and everything is delivered fresh. “It’s a tough ride,” says Knitel who is obviously proud of his role connecting small farmers to chefs in the best local restaurants. “We are very fussy… We want our farmers to get a decent return.”

Connecting to students and connecting to industry is all in a day’s work for Hewson, who appreciates Knitel’s approach to food. “The more you know about your food the more you will enjoy it. I believe there is a ‘moral’ taste of food. If you know what went into producing it (socially and environmentally) your perception of what it will taste like is heightened. And the best way to appreciate good food is to grow it and prepare it for friends and family — to tell the story of food.”

IMPLAUSIBLE PLANT STARS IN TOTAL, 185 PLANT VARIETIES ARE GROWN IN JACKSON’S GARDEN. HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR A FEW OF THE UNLIKELY CULINARY STARS: GARLIC SCAPES In early July curly scapes form at the top of the garlic plant. Its underground bulbs, or cloves, grow larger when scapes are removed early. Used as a garlicky green in salads or stir-fries, scapes are rare in the shops and an unusual treat in the kitchen.

LOVAGE Lovage is a tall hardy perennial herb nicknamed “super-celery” by SAIT chefs. It is extremely hardy and tolerates clipping several times per season from the top down. Lovage grows over two meters tall and its flowers attract beneficial insects.

SORREL Leaves of this hardy perennial vegetable are used in salads and soups. Harvest these citrus flavored leaves early and continue cutting until late July when plants go to seed and they will continue to produce the earliest greens available from outdoor gardens.

HONEYBERRIES This relatively new berry fruit from the prairie fruit-breeding program at the University of Saskatchewan grows better than blueberries in Southern Alberta because it’s more tolerant of our alkaline soils. It also produces fruit earlier in the summer, right after strawberries in early July. Ongoing research shows these sweet berries may be even better for our health than blueberries and easier to grow organically than Saskatoons.

EDIBLE FLOWERS SAIT chefs are very excited about Begonia blooms this season. Begonia petals are crisp with a citrus scent and can be used whole or taken apart. Each color has a slightly different flavor. Harvest organically grown blooms for salads, sorbets or simple syrups all summer from hanging baskets that don’t hog any ground space.

(top to bottom, left to right) Horticultural intern Alyse Gluting shows off the summer bounty in Jackson’s Garden.

SAIT Professional Cooking program instructors Simon Dunn and Andrew Hewson display their tomato plants during the early days of the garden.

Elegantly curled Garlic Scapes are an unusual and tasty addition to salads.

The opulent blooms of squash plants add colour and flavour to salads or sweets. link 13

of SAIT? Would Southern Alberta’s polytechnic pursue university status?

WRITTEN BY | MICHELLE WOODARD

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FEATURE

“ WE OFFER MORE THAN 100 PROGRAMS – FROM WELDING TO NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY TO PARAMEDIC.” — GORD NIXON

I

t’s a beautiful fall day on campus.

Leaves rustle on the trees outside majestic buildings as fresh-faced students look forward to a year full of learning and promise. The same scene plays itself out during the first weeks of September at post-secondary institutions across Western Canada — polytechnics, colleges and universities alike.

But what is the real difference between these hallowed halls? And are the lines starting to blur as colleges and polytechnics offer degrees? Five post-secondary schools in B.C. made the switch to universities in 2008 and Calgary’s then Mount Royal College followed suit in 2009. Earlier this year, BCIT announced its intention to pursue university status. In all of this transition, and with its first class of baccalaureate students freshly graduated, is U of SAIT on the horizon?

Gord Nixon, SAIT’s vice president academic, says the answer is a resounding no. “We have no ambition to be a university.

We are proud to be a polytechnic; we see it as a niche market and a very important part of the Alberta economy.”

Nixon adds that SAIT’s niche has a lot to do with focusing on careers, working closely with industry, and providing the breadth and depth of undergraduate credentials that both students and employers want. “We offer more than 100 programs — from welding to nuclear medicine and petroleum technology to paramedic — many of which have an incredible amount of depth. You can come to SAIT and take one accounting course, an accounting certificate, a two-year accounting diploma or a four-year accounting degree.” link 15

FEATURE

“ THE THING THAT REALLY STANDS OUT FOR ME ABOUT MY TIME AT SAIT IS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I FELT LIKE I WAS READY TO HAVE A CAREER.” — GAIA WILLIS (RTBN ‘09)

Ken Doyle, director of policy with Polytechnics Canada, agrees that this level of choice is an important part of the program mix polytechnics have to offer. Degrees, borne mostly from industry need over the past decade, are simply the most recent addition. And like other applied programs, these new offerings are in demand. “Our 11 members had over 28,000 qualified applicants for 91 full standalone bachelor degree programs in 2012 and were only able to take about 3,000 of them,” says Doyle.

“There is huge need for the training provided by these large, research-intensive learning institutions that are committed to being the leaders in applied education.”

G

aia Willis knows first-hand the value of an applied education.

Fresh from high school, Willis earned an honours degree in English from the University of Alberta, completed a music diploma at what was then Grant MacEwan College and went on to finish the first year of a law degree at the University of Victoria.

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More than once during that time, she says she found herself sitting with six years of post-secondary education under her belt, hoping someone would hire her for a job that paid slightly more than minimum wage. “I had developed a lot of skills that I have since learned are incredibly useful, such as critical thinking, but I really didn’t know how to translate them into something where I could actually make money and live.”

It was after the birth of her daughter and a six-month stint as the subject of a fitness and weight loss reality television show, that Willis found her true calling.

Once she decided to pursue a career in broadcasting, she asked the crew where she should go to school. “Almost to a person, they said I should go to SAIT. They felt that I had the best shot of being ready to work in the industry if I went there.”

Willis took their advice and is now a reporter/producer for Alberta Primetime on CTV Two. Looking back, she says that all of the knowledge and skills she had came together for her while she was at SAIT.

U OF SAIT?

“When I look back at all my educational experiences — and they have all been quite different — I find each extremely valuable. I wouldn’t go back and do only one or the other. The thing that really stands out for me about my time at SAIT is that for the first time in my life I felt like I was ready to have a career. I came out of this diploma understanding exactly what I could do and what I was worth in a very specific industry that I wanted to work in.”

This notion that there is more to an education than simply having a set of concrete skills is something Nixon agrees with — and something that SAIT is addressing in its comprehensive institutional plan. “What we do is much more than producing technicians and people who know how to use specific skills,” he explains. “We are endeavouring to make sure every SAIT program includes outcomes that ensure our grads have the knowledge and skills they need to function in a global, interconnected world while contributing to the economic, social and environmental health and sustainability of the communities in which they live.”

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BUILDINGS

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CIVIL

INFRASTRUCTURE

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After multiple degrees and six years of post secondary studies, Gaia Willis chose to attend SAIT because she was ready to learn the skills she needed for the broadcasting career she wanted.

The Radio, Television and Broadcast News program that Willis attended is one of SAIT’s 82 certificate, diploma and applied degree programs and 30-plus apprenticeship trades programs aimed at providing occupation/industry specific skills to students.

SPECIAL

PROJECTS

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Sharing your vision.

Building success.

We are more than builders. We are construction partners who are passionate about what we do and about our partners’ success.

Shown: SAIT Trades and Technology Complex

Watch us build at PCL.com

link 17

FEATURE

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Bev Hughes (below) has seen a thing or two in her four decades in the office. She says the gals in the steno pool have made a big leap to land at the desk of today’s office administrator.

Office professionals have risen out of the typing pool and into the boardroom WRITTEN BY | JEREMY KLASZUS

Administrating CHANGE “ He may act like he wants a secretary, but most of the time they’re looking for something between a mother and a waitress.”

KATE KUNZ PHOTO

— JOAN HARRIS, MADMEN CHARACTER.

OFFICE TECHNOLOGY: A Look Back

/ 1907

Launch of the first Dictaphone, modeled after the phonograph record technology of the day

/ 1935

International Business Machines (later IBM) introduces version of electric typewriter

/ 1949

Bell Telephone Laboratories introduces its iconic black, rotary-dial desk model telephone

/ 1956

Bette Nesmith launches “Mistake Out,” later known as “Liquid Paper,” to secretaries in her office

/ 1958

Arnold Neustadter and Hildaur Neilsen market the first Rolodex

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FEATURE

When

CALGARY ENTREPRENEUR BEV HUGHES RECALLS THE ROLE OF THE BUSINESS SECRETARY OF FIFTY YEARS AGO, her voice is

thick with irritation. Back then, secretaries were tasked with typing, fetching coffee and grabbing the newspaper for the boss — menial duties that had little to do with business efficiency. “It had to do with just how devoted she was to the person she worked for,” says Hughes, who started a staffing company, Mark Staffing Solutions, in 1990.

Today, it’s a different world. Canada has nearly half a million administrative professionals, and the field has expanded far beyond clerical work. Hughes’ company connects employers with executive assistants, project administrators and office professionals, to name a few, and for the most part their work isn’t like anything you’ll see on Mad Men. They are software experts. They manage projects and plan events. They work on teams, rather than working for a single person, and are gatekeepers for important company relationships. Instead of just taking orders, they are expected to show initiative and solve problems. “There’s a lot more personal responsibility and ability for them to really show off their skills,” says Melissa McCluskey, team leader of marketing and operations at Mark.

The profession has also evolved as ideas about gender have changed. “It’s a better mix of both men and women in the profession,” says McCluskey. “Male executives have male executive assistants. That has really expanded a lot so there’s not that gender stereotype anymore — or not as much as there was.”

So what changed? Technology, mostly. As Bill Gates and Steve Jobs duked it out for digital supremacy in the ‘80s and ‘90s, computers replaced typewriters in offices.

Suddenly it was easier for the boss to manage her own files and book her own flights. New challenges emerged, however. New software was constantly being adopted. Someone in the office had to organize these systems and show everyone how it all worked, so data could be managed efficiently. This became the domain of the administrative professional.

“They have to be very, very skilled,” says Hughes. “It’s more of a profession today, as opposed to being someone’s assistant.”

This being so, education is more important than it once was. You might get by in the field without, but can only go so far, as Jodie Kalbfleisch learned after landing her first admin role after high school. She loved the work, but noticed that her administrative colleagues with post-secondary training accomplished far more than those without. “I remember thinking: the only way to gain more respect and more responsibility in this profession is to go to school,” says Kalbfleisch. She enrolled in SAIT’s two-year Administrative Information Management program, designed to train “creative and innovative” office employees who are experts in solving problems using software. That expertise is crucial. Kalbfleisch recently participated in the Provincial Skills Canada Competition, where she earned gold in the IT Software Solutions for Business category.

“A lot of people think they know how to use Word or Excel, but when you look at the more complicated tasks, most people have no idea,” says Loanne Benner, academic chair

/ 1959

20

First commercial Xerox copier introduced

/ 1963

First “personal computer” intended for a single user developed by Digital Equipment Corporation and MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory. It cost $43,000.

/ 1967

The first handheld calculator invented at Texas Instruments

/ 1971

Ray Tomlinson launches a version of email and becomes the father of modern email

/ 1981

IBM introduces a personal computer with Microsoft DOS operating system

ADMINISTRATING CHANGE

Loanne Benner, academic chair for SAIT’s Administrative Information Management program says that technology savvy is key in a field that has been driven by technological change.

KATE KUNZ PHOTO

“ (ADMINISTRATORS) HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY SKILLED. IT’S MORE OF A PROFESSION TODAY, AS OPPOSED TO BEING SOMEONE’S ASSISTANT.”

of SAIT’s Administrative Information Management program. Knowing the ins and outs of Microsoft Office lands you a job, as evidenced by the high employment rate of SAIT grads (96 per cent in 2012).

But that’s only half of it. The profession requires finely honed people skills, etiquette and intuition — and underlying everything, adaptability. “You need to be organized,” says Kalbfleisch. “You need to be able to maintain a calm attitude in stressful environments.” If the executive is sick, you may be called on to deliver the boss’s presentation in his stead.

And when bosses are on vacation, in many cases it’s administrative staff who oversee and manage departments in their absence.

Job titles are changing, too. Benner, who started her administrative career with the — BEV HUGHES, FOUNDER AND CHAIR, MARK STAFFING SOLUTIONS INC. Alberta government in the 1980s, is encouraged by the use of terms such as junior analyst and document controller — titles that reflect the complexity and critical thinking aspects of the job. “They’re not just called administrative assistants,” says Benner. “That shift is happening, but it’s slow.” Too slow, she says: the notion of the unskilled secretary lingers on in many businesses. “There are some very progressive organizations that recognize the value of the administrative person in their organization, but there’s still that image of the administrative assistant as easy to come by, easy to replace.”

To Hughes, the change in attitude is like night and day. She recalls secretaries of yesteryear dropping names about who they previously worked for, thinking that was the ticket to a good job. “Today it’s: what is this company, what can I learn, what can I contribute, how can I grow? It’s very different today, and I love every minute of it.”

/ 1983

Microsoft markets the first edition of Microsoft Office

/ 1984

Apple introduces the Macintosh, a microcomputer with a mouse and an intuitive user interface

/ 1989

Tim Berners-Lee launches the World Wide Web (www)

/ 1999

RIM launches Blackberry, providing mobile access to email, phone, and calendar

/ 2010

Apple launches the iPad

link 21

shelter from the STORM When the flood waters rose, the SAIT community rose to the occasion

GEORGE WEBBER PHOTO

WRITTEN BY | CARLY McCONACHIE

22

FEATURE

FLOODING

BY THE NUMBERS: 2,400

the peak flow of the Bow River — 8 times the usual flow

1,240

the peak flow Elbow River — 12 times the usual flow

13,000

number of residents evacuated from the town of High River

110,000

number of residents evacuated from 26 communities in Calgary

metres/cubed per second

metres/cubed per second

10,000

approximate number of residents evacuated from Medicine Hat

1,000

approximate number of residents evacuated from the Siksika Nation

600 2,500 $1 billion

$3 to $5 billion

PHOTOS BY GEORGE WEBBER

i

number of volunteers requested for an official volunteer roundup on Monday, June 24 estimated number of volunteers who showed up amount of the Disaster Relief Fund pledged by Alberta Premier Alison Redford after her first visit to flood zones in Southern Alberta initial flood damage estimates according to preliminary report from BMO analyst Tom MacKinnon. BMO predicts 25 per cent will not be covered by insurance

$400 million

the damage cost of the last major flood to hit Calgary in 2005

33

number of communities that were issued local states of emergency

link 23

FEATURE

“ I KNEW SAIT RESIDENCES WERE AN OPTION FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE IN THE CASE OF A CITY EMERGENCY SO THEY WERE MY FIRST PHONE CALL.” — MIKE McAINSH (IT ‘06)

Television and radio teams from CBC Calgary began broadcasting from Heritage Hall at SAIT after their station on Memorial Drive was evacuated due to flooding. The radio team broadcast live from the campus for more than 22 hours.

I

T’S NOW BECOME A FAMILIAR CALGARY TALE.

While working as a peer tutor at SAIT on June 20, Mike McAinsh received a message to evacuate his apartment building downtown. With no time to return home, he remained at SAIT and began making emergency arrangements.

“I knew SAIT residences were an option for displaced people in the case of a city emergency so they were my first phone call.” He was welcomed with open arms and was able to move into a residence room within an hour of speaking to residence staff. “I used to live and work in residence so I was familiar with the accommodations. I require a (wheelchair) accessible room and they were able to put me in on the first floor so I could come and go as I pleased.”

By the time all was said and done, more than 200 evacuees used SAIT’s residence towers as their temporary home during the state of emergency.

Stephanie Woods, general manager of SAIT Residence – and herself an evacuee staying in residence –

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says a team of 12 worked through the night to help get people settled in more than 100 rooms. “All hands on deck made it a very successful and smooth check-in,” says Woods.

After staying at SAIT for a week, McAinsh was able to return to his apartment that had luckily been spared from damage.

Barry Cochran, campus Manager of Security and Emergency Services, was in charge of SAIT’s emergency operations centre during the flood. “We were immediately identified as a temporary housing centre for evacuees,” says Cochran. “We had to ensure we were still carrying out our essential services, while making sure we were helping as much as possible.”

A NEW BROADCAST HILL

Some evacuees required more specific accommodations. Located directly in the flood zone, CBC Calgary moved their entire operations to SAIT on the evening of June 20.

SHELTER FROM THE STORM

GEORGE WEBBER PHOTO / BOTTOM RIGHT: GREG FULMES PHOTO

(Previous page) Marie Jokober, 95, looks down at the Bow River from her residence room after being evacuated to SAIT from her Sunnyside home. (top left) CBC Radio packed up their microphones and began broadcasting breaking news from SAIT’s Heritage Hall at 5:30 am on Friday, June 20. (bottom left) Yimin Wu, Chaomin Qiu and Jacob Wu help themselves to the evening meal for evacuees in Aldred Centre.

The family was evacuated from their home in the Beltline area. (below) Alumnus Mike McAinsh was relieve to have a wheelchair accessible room in SAIT’s residence to call home after learning his building had been evacuated.

Managing Director of CBC Calgary, Al Thorgeirson says thanks to the cooperation of SAIT and CBC employees, they had a fully functioning radio station operating from SAIT’s main campus by June 21 at 1 am. CBC TV began broadcasting from SAIT later that day. “It’s amazing what you can get accomplished with the water lapping at your heels,” says Thorgeirson. “At the same time this was taking place, we had about a third of our staff who had been evacuated from their own homes in different parts of the city.”

Though the decision to go to SAIT was mostly a practical one, Thorgeirson like many CBC employees, has ties to the school on the hill. “We have many SAIT alumni working for us. I was recently at an advisory board meeting for the broadcasting program so am familiar with the campus. It made the most sense because we knew the facilities and knew it would be relatively easy to set up.”

By transforming SAIT classrooms into newsrooms, CBC was able to provide Calgarians with important 25

PREPARING FOR OUR SECOND CENTURY THINK OF THE DIFFERENCE YOU CAN MAKE SAIT Polytechnic is planning now for the next generation of students, and the trade and technology careers that will inspire them.

A gift in your will helps create life-changing opportunities for future generations of SAIT students. You’ll be maintaining SAIT alumni’s proud cycle of support.

CONTACT LEGACIES@SAIT.CA OR 403.284.7377 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

THANK YOU TO CALGARY’S EVERYDAY

SUPERHEROES!

You came to the rescue when our city needed you most!

We know this work. We are in this for the long haul with our communities. Visit calgaryunitedway.org to see how your donations are helping flood victims.

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c

The space for this community message was generously donated by Odgers Berndtson.

SHELTER FROM THE STORM

SAIT FLOOD RESPONSE TIMELINE

Colin and Trish Rodgerson arrived from Wales for their first trip to Calgary on June 19. Their plans to spend three days in Calgary and then leave for a tour of Banff and Lake Louise changed when they were evacuated to SAIT’s residence building from their downtown hotel.

emergency information. “For CBC, the coverage was a massive effort,” says Thorgeirson. “I was most proud of the fact that people working on our shows were personally being impacted by the stories we were telling and personally impacted by the flood itself. But yet, they were right there with us telling the stories.”

When the CBC crew left SAIT to return to their own (dry) building several days later, there was a different feeling in the air says Thorgeirson. “It has to do with people pulling together as a team.”

RESPONSE TIME

Even though many SAIT employees were evacuated from their own homes Cochran says SAIT’s own response to the disaster is a point of pride. “Everyone stepped up to the plate quickly and immediately wanted to know how they could help. We did our best to accommodate any request that came in, whether it was temporarily housing and feeding evacuees or providing a location for CBC to broadcast from.”

On June 20, 2013, 220 millimeters of rain – the equivalent of half a year of average annual rainfall in the area – fell in the Rocky Mountains near Canmore, ravaging the town, closing the Trans-Canada highway and sending a torrent of water down the Bow River towards Calgary.

• June 20 SAIT begins accepting evacuees into residence. Around 200 people who had been displaced from their homes received temporary shelter on campus. SAIT staff and Chartwells, SAIT’s food service provider, worked long hours to make temporary residents comfortable.

• June 21, 5:30 am CBC Radio is evacuated from its Memorial Drive studios and begins broadcasting from SAIT’s Heritage Hall. They were later joined by their CBC TV colleagues.

• June 21 SAIT closes campus at 1 pm in response to the floods.

• June 24 To keep vehicles downtown to a minimum, commuters were asked to bike or walk from various parking locations. SAIT donates 730 parking stalls, offered on a first-come, first-serve basis until July 31.

• June 26 SAIT re opens its doors for students and staff to return to campus.

• June 26/27 350 Stampede staff and volunteers needed to be trained “come hell or high water.”

SAIT becomes the temporary event training facility while the Stampede grounds were inaccessible.

• July 4 150 Red Cross volunteers from across the country set up shelter on the SAIT campus.

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LINK INSPIRATION Helping students ‘VITAL FUND’

GREG FULMES PHOTO

R

provides help to students who need it most

ob Sadowski, SAIT machinist/millwright instructor, knew something was wrong. Solomon Fatty was a conscientious student who never missed a class. He was always co-operative and eager to please, says Sadowski. “He was one of the kindest, gentlest, most polite students I’ve ever had.” So when Solomon wasn’t in class one day, the instructor knew something was wrong. Seriously wrong. Sadowski learned that his student was absent because he ran out of money and had to play hooky to work so he could pay his rent. “He also wasn’t eating properly,” Sadowski says. Fatty also ran out of money to buy food.

Fatty says his financial problems consumed his every thought. “I was in class, but I wasn’t there. If somebody had told me then that it was going to be okay, I would have called him a liar.” Sadowski was worried Fatty’s financial crisis would force him to quit school so he referred his student to an I. G. Lewis Fund mentor, Paul Norris, an Architectural Technologies instructor.

Within minutes of arriving in the mentor’s office, Fatty was sharing his harrowing life story. Norris says he could barely comprehend it. “I could hardly believe all the obstacles he had overcome to attend SAIT.” Originally from the Gambia, West Africa and orphaned at a young age, he was forced to leave school as a young boy. Fatty immigrated to Canada in 2008, leaving his siblings behind. He arrived without support or money and he had worked a number of jobs. But Fatty, who speaks five languages, yearned for a formal education and enrolled at SAIT to earn his millwright ticket.

Transitioning from work to school hit him hard financially. Through a series of events, Solomon found himself in a financial crisis, unable to pay his rent or buy food. He told Norris he was very close to becoming homeless.

Norris knew Fatty needed immediate help and provided him with a grocery voucher. Recalling the moment that Norris gave him two weeks’ worth of grocery money, Fatty was overcome with emotion. “What Paul did for me was incredible,” says Fatty. “He is my hero.”

Norris says the fact that the fund entrusts mentors to give students help instantly makes it unique. “As an architect, I’m trained to solve problems,” says Norris. “Mentors are empowered to do it, and it doesn’t get questioned.”

With Norris’s guidance, Fatty also received enough money to pay his rent, enabling him to stay in his program. He is working full-time now, and gaining hours towards his apprenticeship.

“I touched love here,” says Fatty. “This is the best country. I was born to know Canada.”

HIGH RIVER HELP P30 PHOTOS FROM THE FLOOD ZONE P32 ELECTRICAL EMERGENCY CREW P37

Paul Norris, I.G. Lewis fund mentor and SAIT instructor, helps students access vital emergency resources.

I.G. LEWIS STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND: HOW IT WORKS Named in honour of Irene Lewis, SAIT’s past President and CEO, the I.G. Lewis Fund provides financial support and guidance for students in critical need. SAIT instructors, staff and counselors refer students who are in financial crisis and at risk of dropping out to a group of six mentors who determine what they need to see them through.

Students have received as little as a $50 gift card for groceries to thousands in financial support needed to get them back on their feet, (but only access assistance one time), and they work with their mentor to ensure they stay in school. “It’s a vital fund,” says SAIT instructor, Rob Sadowski.

Currently, SAIT Alumni and Development has established an endowment fund with a goal of $2-million to fund the bursary in perpetuity, says senior development officer Richard Horbachewski. Once fully funded the endowment fund will pay out in excess of $70,000 per year for mentors to assist students in crisis. To reach this goal, $700,000 is still needed. For information, contact Debby.Deniset@sait.ca.

HEATHER SETKA link 29

LINK INSPIRATION

“ I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE DOING DISASTER RELIEF IN MY OWN TOWN...”

—D ARRYL COX, FLOOD DISASTER RELIEF LEAD FOR BROOKFIELD HOMES

Built in support

T

he man was alone, red in the face and heaving from exertion, as he attempted to shovel heavy, contaminated mud from his Calgary home. When Darrell Cox, a journeyman carpenter and SAIT grad (’82), passed him on the street, “he looked like he was about to have a heart attack. There was no way he was able to do that job alone,” says Cox. Cox stopped and asked if his team of volunteers from Brookfield Homes’ Flood Assistance Team could help. “Sheer relief came over his face,” says Cox. The team cleared the home of mud and contaminated materials in just three hours.

For Cox, the destruction left by June’s flood was nothing he hadn’t seen town were twisted like a rollercoaster and before. As a disaster relief volunteer with Samaritan’s Purse, Cox has visited neighbourhoods were still submerged. Many homes some of the world’s most notorious disaster sites over the past two decades: were marked with different coloured stickers. Left a Peruvian earthquake and a volcanic eruption in El Salvador. He spent 10 by home inspectors, they summarized homes’ fate. weeks in Katrina’s wake and, in February, went to post-quake Haiti, “I never thought I would be doing disaster relief in my own town, but [the flood damage] “Red was big trouble,” Cox says.

When they arrived at Ross Merkel’s High was on an equal scale to a lot of them.”

River home Cox’s crew found twelve inches of mud As the waters continued to rise, Cox took a call from his employer at outside. Using snow shovels, they dug themselves Brookfield Homes asking if he could lead their disaster relief response. With into the house where they found 6- 8 inches of one other field person and some administrative support, Cox gathered a couple mud in the walk-out basement and the French doors dozen volunteers (mostly office staff) who split into two groups to respond to pushed completely out of their jamb, “It looked like the needs of Brookfield employees, their family, friends, and sub-contractors it’d been a supersized toilet bowl,” says Cox. affected by the flood. Eleven days after the flood, they had cleaned just over Wearing rubber boots, gloves, facemasks and 30,000 square feet in about twenty-five homes. glasses they cleared the mud, then removed Cox’s team was allowed to enter High River with a contractor’s pass on everything that the floodwaters had contacted. the afternoon of June 22, two days after flooding began. “Re-entry was very “When sewage mixes with water, mould isn’t such controlled, like a police state, and [the town] was a mess.” The rail tracks into

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SHAUN RONSON PHOTO

(Left) “Because we know how it goes together, we know how to take it apart,” says journeyman carpenter, Darrel Cox of his expertise in cleaning up after natural disasters.

Many people don’t realize how thorough they need to be in removing contaminated materials.

Ignorance in cleaning up a disaster site can lead to major costs down the road.

(Right) SAIT alumnus and Brookfield employee Ross Merkel has lived in High River for almost his whole life. He has seen a lot of floods in his time. “But nothing this bad,” he says, surveying his mud-drenched basement.

“Nothing anywhere near this bad.”

a bad thing compared to the bacteria in the water. There is also so much debris from the mountains – dirt, rocks, dead animals – and it deteriorates quickly.”

When the team left, only the framing and cement remained, waiting to be sprayed with an anti-bacterial solution.

As the teams work their way through families’ and colleagues’ homes, they face more than just the physical challenges of cleanup. People’s entire lives are often wrapped up in their house and the loss of memorable possessions can cause incredible grief.

“We aren’t counselors, but the single biggest thing we can do for people is listen. I tell my team, ‘Don’t worry about working if someone needs to talk; you’ll probably do more good talking to them than fixing their home.”

Cox is doing what he was trained to do in some of the most tragic settings in the world. This June and July he brought his leadership, expertise and listening ear to victims of a disaster closer to home than he ever imagined.

CARISSA HALTON link 31

LINK INSPIRATION

Documenting disaster

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hen three Calgary photojournalists looked through their viewfinders at the end of June, they could hardly believe their eyes. With each click, they documented the worst natural disaster in Alberta’s history – both the rising waters and the fading dreams. But destruction was only part of the story they recorded for generations to come. In more frames than you might expect, you’ll find images of hope, resiliency and humanity at its very best.

HERE ARE THEIR STORIES.

STUART GRADON (JA ‘04)

STUART GRADON PHOTO COURTESY THE CALGARY HERALD

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longtime photojournalist with the Calgary Herald, Stuart Gradon has covered several flooding incidents in High River over the years so wasn’t surprised when he got the call to head south on June 20.

After passing a long line of vehicles heading in the opposite direction, Gradon followed instructions from firefighters, parked his car, donned his rubber boots, collected his gear and started walking downtown. “I hadn’t gone 30 steps and I saw the water coming down the street.

Trucks were leaving and I eventually looked back to see people climbing out of cars up to their windows with water on a street I just came up minutes before.”

While Gradon says he never felt in real danger — there was always enough elevated land that he wasn’t going to get swamped — it didn’t take him long to realize that he wasn’t going to drive out either.

“In a strange way, there was nothing else to do but work,” says Gradon. So when people started climbing on top of giant red combines and harvesters that made their way through the lakes that had once been roads, he began capturing the best storytelling images he could: people in the distance dangling from ropes while being rescued by helicopter, long shots of swamped cars and water rising up around street signs.

He says being trapped along with residents in the town and making his way out on the last combine gave him a different perspective. “The photos that resonate with me the most are intimate photos of a mother holding her six- or seven-year-old child waiting to be taken out on the back of a combine or an older lady standing on a curb surrounded by water. I knew these people were losing a lot.”

Gradon adds that events like this show that photojournalism really does matter. “You need photojournalists out there focused only on trying to tell the story visually. It’s something that should be remembered. I think a lot of us in Calgary and Southern Alberta are proud of the work we’ve done.”

FLOOD MOMENT:

Gradon, a longtime photojournalist for the Calgary Herald describes an emotional shot of a woman holding her son and trying to figure out how to load him onto a combine. “As his mother looked up to see how to get onto the equipment, the son looked straight at me. He was the only person who looked at me through the entire day – everyone was concentrating on the situation at hand and unaware of the camera. His hair is wet and it’s coming down around his face, he has no shoes on, and he’s soaked to the bone.”

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GLENN KELLY (JA ‘13)

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nly a month after graduation, the Toronto Star was about the last caller Glenn Kelly was expecting.

“I actually ignored their first call because the number was blocked.” He didn’t waste any time getting back to them, though, and immediately struck out that Friday morning in late June, camera in hand, to share the story of what was happening in Calgary.

Arriving at the corner of Ninth Avenue and Macleod Trail, Kelly saw boats in the middle of the street – his first real sense of the flood’s magnitude. “It was surreal – almost like an out-of-body experience or a dream. Everywhere I turned my camera, there was something that was just unbelievable.”

On the second day of his assignment, Kelly felt like he was in a ghost town when he pulled into the East Village. “It was completely abandoned, but the people I did see were coming together, standing and talking. Everyone seemed to relate in that moment. There were no barriers – they were all just people. It’s the silver lining in a disaster situation.”

Over the course of three days, the Toronto Star ran five of Kelly’s photos online and two in the newspaper’s print edition. “To work for the Toronto Star is a dream for a lot of photojournalists and to have the opportunity so quickly was an honour. I had been thinking about changing to cinematography, but this assignment cemented my career path.

It’s tough — there is a lot of adrenaline and stress — but telling the story and hoping that, in some way, it helps people makes it worthwhile.”

FLOOD MOMENT:

Kelly spent day three of his assignment in Bragg Creek where he photographed the owner of LoKo’s Lounge walking out the door of her restaurant through the kitchen. “Shelves are falling over and she’s wading through mud,” describes Kelly. “She stops at the door, pauses and looks down. You can see at that moment that she is processing everything. It seemed like she had to keep moving – it’s what keeps you sane in a situation like that.”

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LINK INSPIRATION

SHAUN ROBINSON (RTBN ‘05)

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hen a friend asked Shaun Robinson to come to her flooded home on Bow Crescent he spent some time getting dirty and then used his skills as a portrait photographer to capture images of other people doing the same.

“Every picture that I saw up to then was about the devastation, but they didn’t necessarily give you a sense of the human element that was involved.”

So Robinson set out to tell the story of the volunteers and people affected by the flood. Using a white backdrop to separate his subjects from what was going on around them, he took portraits to capture the sense of community in the clean up efforts – something that could otherwise be forgotten over time.

“The human spirit is really what struck me most. Even though people had lost everything, they weren’t just concerned about their own loss – they wanted to help other people. You could feel the positive energy in the neighbourhood. People were smiling and there was a feeling that we were going to get through this together.”

A few days later, when Robinson went to Mission to capture the people behind the clean up efforts there, he received the same positive response. He posted the images to his blog and when Mayor Nenshi tweeted out a link, the traffic exploded. Why? “I think the images resonate with people because it’s something that could have happened to them and they can really empathize.”

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FLOOD MOMENT:

Robinson says he thinks the first photo he posted on his blog of a man on Bow Crescent (cover photo) is perhaps the most striking. “There’s not a lot of happiness – I didn’t get his whole story, but I think he may have been a homeowner. You can see the sadness in his eyes, but also the feeling that he’s going to get through it.”

LINK INSPIRATION

Wired to help

PHOTO COURTESY CHILDREN’S COTTAGE SOCIETY OF CALGARY

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he riding toys were caked with silt and the sand box filled with flood debris.

While the backyard of the Children’s Cottage Society’s Crisis Nursery was a mess, the basement was destroyed: client files, computers, saturated diapers and craft supplies had floated in seven feet of floodwater for two days.

After the crew came to pump water out of the basement, the damage was revealed. The heart of the building had stopped — the electrical room was completely inoperable. Two, 40-circuit breaker panels, the six-month old heating boiler and two domestic hot water tanks were irreparable.

“Without power we had nothing,” says Patty Kilgallon, executive director of Children’s Cottage Society of Calgary. And “nothing” meant that many of Calgary’s most vulnerable children would remain displaced.

The Children’s Cottage’s Bridgeland nursery provides temporary care for kids up to eight-yearsold whose parents are in crisis. “Our nursery is always open, so when the flood occurred and we were told to evacuate, it was something we were not accustomed to doing.” They closed their doors on Thursday night. On Saturday they re-entered the building and faced the destruction that threatened to keep operations closed for weeks.

Gord Flaterud is a SAIT electrical instructor and husband to Paula Bannerman, Children’s Cottage’s manager of volunteers. He entered the building with Kilgallon and immediately sent an SOS call to his fellow SAIT colleagues.

On a weekend when tradespeople had opportunity to work significant billable hours, eight SAIT electrical instructors showed up at the nursery to volunteer their skills. They worked through the weekend logging over 140 hours, time spent mostly in a basement that was cold and damp, eerily lit by hanging lights and powered by generators that hummed to distraction. With the help of over 400 volunteers, SAIT technical support, and donations from suppliers, the instructors replaced all breakers, switches and receptacles. They reconnected and tested all circuits, reinstalled drywall, and tested every piece of equipment they reused to ensure it was safe.

Kilgallon says that despite the working conditions, “they were always 100% positive.

(Left to right) Glenn Hedderick (ELP ‘99), Dwayne Goosen, Scott Rogstad, Gord Flaterud, Jack Graham are (PLCC ‘89) five of the eight SAIT electrical instructors whose expertise and elbow grease got a Children’s Cottage nursery up and running after the floods.

WHEN FLOOD WATERS DAMAGED THE ELECTRICAL PANELS OF THE CHILDREN’S COTTAGE NURSERY AND THREATENED TO KEEP ITS DOORS CLOSED, A TEAM OF SAIT ELECTRICAL INSTRUCTORS GOT THE HEART OF THE BUILDING BEATING AGAIN. Everyone could tell (the SAIT crew) enjoyed working together and it rubbed off.

It was just a great atmosphere,” working in, of all things, a flood zone. Kilgallon says, “I had to force them to sit down, to drink and eat. I don’t know how they got all their energy as they worked mammoth days.”

For Jack Graham, academic chair of electrical trades at SAIT, his inspiration for the weekend of volunteering came from the Children’s Cottage itself. “It’s the work they do. They see 1,500 children per year and to be out of commission for any length of time is a crisis. They have to be operating.”

The instructors’ expertise, leadership and cooperation meant that the nursery was the first place on the block to have electrical power. “The minute that there were lights, there was great cheering and excitement,” Kilgallon says, “The instructors made this project possible.”

It was over $80,000 worth of donated work for a priceless cause. Seven days after the nursery evacuated, the kids returned welcomed by many of the volunteers that helped make their safe haven safe again.

CARISSA HALTON link 37

LINK INSPIRATION

SAIT Students’ Association president Tegan Cochrane and 14 other members of the SAITSA team connected over shovels and wheelbarrows when the association swapped out its annual team building retreat for a flood clean-up volunteer day.

Team building in the flood zone

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CAROLYNN SEMENIUK 38

SHAUN ROBINSON PHOTO

hen this Spring’s floods forced the cancellation of the annual team retreat for SAIT Students’ Association staff and newly elected student executives, it presented a team building opportunity that surpassed anything they had planned.

The group decided to forgo strategizing in board rooms and put their team building efforts to lending a hand. On July 2, a 15-member SAITSA crew descended on the flood ravaged community of Mission with shovels in hand and worked side-by-side shovelling debris, hauling construction waste and dismantling a brick paver patio.

“We thought ‘what better way to build our team than to volunteer for the flood relief,’” says Tegan Cochrane, who was elected President of the Students’ Association in April.

The SAITSA crew got to know each other during a long, sweltering (33 degrees celcius) day and bonded over hard work and compassion for those whose homes they were helping to restore.

“The scope of the tragedy was very clear down there (in Mission)” says Cochrane. “We really came together as a team because we were so motivated to try to make a difference.”

INNOVATION

LIVING WATER FILTERS P41

THE HALO PROJECT

RICH CASTILLO PHOTO

CHALLENGE: Brain cancer patients at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre are fitted with a medical halo device prior to their stereotactic treatments, which can take anywhere from two to six hours to complete. The halo stabilizes the patient’s head and neck during treatments. It’s important, but so is patient comfort while they wait. The titanium composite halo weighs six pounds, so discomfort seems inevitable.

HOW COULD HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS MAKE THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE OF SITTING FOR HOURS WITH A SIX POUND DEVICE ON THEIR HEADS MORE COMFORTABLE? SOLUTION: THEY IMPLEMENTED AN ÜBER-COMFORTABLE CHAIR DESIGN THAT ACCOMMODATES THE HALO: a chair that patients can easily adjust to obtain maximum support for their head, neck, back and torso. A chair that offers a welcome reprieve from the burden these patients carry on their shoulders.

When SAIT’s Mechanical Engineering Technology students Robert Garth, Darren Fry and Courtney Friesen saw the Tom Baker Cancer Centre on the list of options for their second-year capstone project, they didn’t hesitate.

“It was an obvious choice for us,” said Garth. “What a great opportunity to do something truly worthwhile while applying our new skills and gaining valuable industry experience.”

The team had just four months to develop an idea from concept to completion. They spent hours talking with staff and patients on site at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre to ensure a

Allan Michaud and Robert Garth demonstrate the features of a new chair at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.

Compassion is built into this SAIT student-designed chair aimed at making brain cancer patients more comfortable during treatments.

solid understanding of the required functionality. They sketched their design concepts, did research and 3-D modelling, and conducted strength analysis and failure tests. They sourced out their materials and pursued a couple of different manufacturing processes with Allan Michaud, the Machinist Technician in the Medical Physics department of the Tom Baker Centre. “We really did apply the full range of what we had been learning over the past two years,” said Garth.

So what makes their chair different from the industrial green vinyl chairs it’s set to replace at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre? Comfort.

The old chair had a solid back and headrest. Since the halo extends behind the patient’s head by as much as two inches, lying back in that chair meant lying back on the halo; not a position that could be sustained comfortably.

The students designed a headrest with a full range of movement so the patient can adjust its angle, height and depth according to their needs, with a gap between the backrest and headrest where the halo fits unimpeded. The patient’s head rests softly on the headrest, not the halo.

Memory foam cushioning is another pro-comfort element integrated into the design. The warm brown leather-like chair is molded to provide all-over support. It effectively cups patients as they sit, imparting a sense of privacy and suggestive of a gentle hug.

That too is by design.

Their medical chair is now at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre’s machine shop, for final maintenance and inspections.

Patients will soon be taking comfort by design.

JULIE SENGL WITH FILES FROM NICOLE SHEPHERD link 39

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A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN We threw a little Stampede style shindig in June to introduce our new President and CEO, Dr. David Ross, to members of SAIT Polytechnic’s extended family. There was western style grub, country music and lots of hand shakin’. Presenting sponsor Odgers Berndtson presented Dr. Ross with an official Calgary Stampede belt buckle. The event was topped off with Calgary’s iconic white hat ceremony.

Thank you to the following sponsors for their support.

Presented By:

Supported By:

INNOVATION

Dean Jones, principal investigator for SAIT’s Applied Research and Innovation Service’s hydroponic living wall research project, is flanked here by plants he used to filter rainwater and a cistern in which the water was stored and tested. His research involved using the plants to filter E. Coli broths to determine their capacity to purify contaminated water for non-potable, residential use.

ROOTS OF INNOVATION

GREG FULMES PHOTO

CHALLENGE: Living walls are increasingly popular because they’re attractive features that boost air quality in homes or offices, but neither of these exploit a key benefit of the living wall.

AS ECOLOGISTS LOOK FOR NEW WAYS TO CONSERVE WATER AND REDUCE THE DEMAND ON MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLIES, LIVING WALLS PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY. CAPTURED RAINWATER FILTERED THROUGH THE ROOT SYSTEM OF A VERTICAL GARDEN COULD THEN BE REPURPOSED FOR USE IN TOILETS OR IRRIGATION. IT’S A SOLID PLAN FOR WATER CONSERVATION, BUT HOW CAN YOU BE SURE THE FILTERED RAINWATER IS SAFE FOR DOMESTIC USE? SOLUTION: ENGAGE SAIT RESEARCHERS TO INVESTIGATE THE USE OF LIVING WALLS AS A BUILDING-INTEGRATED, WATER FILTRATION FEATURE.

And that’s what Nathalie Callede and Tim Suddaby did. The owners of the Calgary-based company Vertical Oxygen approached SAIT’s Green Building Technologies office in the department of Applied Research and Innovation Services to hopefully substantiate their theory.

They know all about the ambient benefits of indoor plantings. “An indoor living wall with tropical plants helps us pass through long, cold periods, gives us moisture and oxygen, and cleans the air,” said Callede. They also know that if their living walls can be shown to clean captured rainwater, they could become a staple in the green-building world.

SAIT’s principal investigator of Architectural Ecology, Dean Jones, has focused on technologies that bring ecology into the built environment for a couple of years now. “More and more people are keying in on ecological wastewater treatment,” says Jones.

“But it’s not mainstream yet. It needs to be proven by a few successful projects.”

Water quality is gauged in terms of

its microbiological, chemical and physical properties like pH levels, colour, odour, turbidity and bacteria. Government regulation of rainwater filtration standards is still in its infancy. The Alberta Building Code does not yet identify minimum rainwater quality standards for nonpotable uses. So Jones measured the quality of the filtered water against current Canadian standards for reclaimed water (i.e. filtered and treated municipal wastewater).

His research showed that certain living-wall configurations are able to treat rainwater to the current reclaimed water standards for E. coli, BOD5 (five-day biochemical oxygen demand) and turbidity.

Test results also revealed a drop in pH levels, which started at 7, but dropped closer to 6 as it cycled through the wall.

Tropical living-wall plants don’t like a pH level higher than 6.2, so this is good.

Jones is cautiously optimistic: “This was preliminary testing done on one small feature wall...additional testing is needed to prove the application can do what it is supposed to do on a larger scale.”

The owners of Vertical Oxygen are also encouraged by SAIT’s findings, and agree there is still work to be done. “Our overall vision is to see a system that harvests rainwater from the roof of a commercial building, filters it through a much larger living wall than we’ve tested, and then makes that water available for toilet flushing and irrigation,” says Suddaby. “The more we know about the living-wall technology,” adds Callede, “The more it will progress.”

JULIE SENGL WITH FILES FROM NICOLE DUNSDEN link 41

CALENDAR OF EVENTS August

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NEW ALUMNI EVENTS “Like” us on Facebook to stay in the loop on fun, discounted SAIT alumni events.

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September 5

PICKWICK WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

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UBIQUITOUS SYNERGY SEEKER 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

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ATOMIS 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

CHALI 2NA 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

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YOUNG GALAXY 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

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SAIT VS MEDICINE HAT COLLEGE – TROJAN SOCCER Women 12 pm Men 2 pm Cohos Commons

27 – 28

DOORS OPEN YYC Tour some of SAIT’s interesting spaces when the popular urban tour makes a stop on campus.

See doorsopenyyc.org for details

SAIT VS OLDS COLLEGE – SOCCER HOME OPENER Women 12 pm Men 2 pm Cohos Commons

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FITNESS WEEK A week of free gym passes and drop in classes at SAIT’s Wellness Centre

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SAIT VS KEYANO COLLEGE – TROJAN MEN’S HOCKEY HOME OPENER 7 pm Campus Centre Arena

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SAIT VS KEYANO COLLEGE – TROJAN MEN’S HOCKEY 2 pm Campus Centre Arena

THE SUPPLIERS – CD RELEASE 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

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RON SEXSMITH WITH JENN GRANT 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

SAIT OPEN HOUSE 9 am - 4 pm Learn more about our programs, meet program Chairs, instructors and current students. Visit the Alumni Lounge on Oct. 19 to rest your feet, have a snack and learn about student awards and alumni benefits. We’ll also have computers available for you or your children to jump the line and complete online registration.

See sait.ca for details

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NO JOY 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

October 3

SAIT VS LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE – TROJAN SOCCER Women 12 pm Men 2 pm Cohos Commons ALUMNI HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON STARTS Campus Centre Arena

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AUSTRA WITH MOON KING 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

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SAIT VS AUGUSTANA COLLEGE – TROJAN MEN’S HOCKEY 7 pm Campus Centre Arena

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THE MARONES 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

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THE PAPER KITES 8 pm The Gateway Lounge

November 1

SAIT VS NAIT – TROJAN MEN’S HOCKEY 7 pm Campus Centre Arena

SAIT VS GRANT MACEWAN – WOMEN’S HOCKEY 7 pm Campus Centre Arena

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SAIT VS LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE – TROJAN BASKETBALL Women 6 pm Men 8 pm Campus Centre Gym

SAIT VS LAKELAND COLLEGE – TROJAN SOCCER Women 12 pm Men 2 pm Cohos Commons

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SAIT VS NAIT – WOMEN’S HOCKEY HOME OPENER 7 pm Campus Centre Arena SAIT VS AUGUSTANA COLLEGE – TROJAN BASKETBALL HOME OPENER Women 6 pm Men 8 pm Campus Centre Gym

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SAIT VS GRANT MACEWAN – TROJAN VOLLEYBALL HOME OPENER Women 6 pm Men 8 pm Campus Centre Gym SAIT VS RED DEER COLLEGE – TROJAN MEN’S HOCKEY 7 pm Campus Centre Arena

sait.ca. for more info

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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SAIT VS BRIERCREST – TROJAN VOLLEYBALL Women 6 pm Men 8 pm Campus Centre Gym SAIT VS CONCORDIA – TROJAN MEN’S HOCKEY 7 pm Campus Centre Arena

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SAIT VS BRIERCREST – TROJAN VOLLEYBALL Women 1 pm Men 3 pm Campus Centre Gym SAIT VS RED DEER COLLEGE – WOMEN’S HOCKEY 7 pm Campus Centre Arena

SAIT VS ST. MARY’S – TROJAN BASKETBALL Women 6 pm Men 8 pm Campus Centre Gym

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CAREER DIRECTIONS 9 am - 3 pm Stan Grad Centre Biannual event for students and alumni to meet and discuss career opportunities with employers and professional associations.

See sait.ca/student employment

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POLYTECHNICS CANADA STUDENT SHOWCASE National event to bring together students to showcase leading applied research projects.

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SAIT VS RED DEER COLLEGE – TROJAN BASKETBALL Women 6 pm Men 8 pm Campus Centre Gym SAIT VS GRANT MACEWAN – TROJAN MEN’S HOCKEY 7 pm Campus Centre Arena

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SAIT VS OLDS COLLEGE – TROJAN VOLLEYBALL Women 1 pm Men 3 pm Campus Centre Gym

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SAIT VS NAIT – WOMEN’S HOCKEY 7 pm Campus Centre Arena

SAIT VS GRANT MACEWAN – WOMEN’S HOCKEY 7 pm Campus Centre Arena

December SAIT VS LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE – TROJANS VOLLEYBALL Women 6 pm Men 8 pm Campus Centre Gym

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ILB CONTINUING EDUCATION INFO NIGHT 4:30 - 7:30 pm I.G. Lewis Atrium, Stan Grad Centre

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SKATE WITH SANTA Bring your family and join SAIT’s Alumni and Development team for a skating date with Santa at the Campus Centre Arena. Photos with Santa, hot dogs, popcorn and hot chocolate.

See sait.ca/alumni or call 403-284-7274

STAY IN TOUCH WITH SAIT CONTACT US TODAY New job? New town? New home? You send it, we keep you in the loop. It’s that easy.

Update all your contact information at: alumni@sait.ca or mail us: Alumni and Development, SAIT Polytechnic, 1301 16th Avenue NW, Calgary, AB T2M 0L4 link 43

FLASHBACK:

Back in the 1930s, when SAIT was called the Provincial Institute of Art and Technology (PITA), a student named James Hemsley began attending classes in the aeronautics program. The Ogden boy had a penchant for photography and suspension bridges, and drew on both of these things when he snapped this photo of a Calgary suspension bridge which collapsed during an early season flood in 1936. Other photos by Hemsley are also available on the SAIT Polytechnic Digital Photo Archives.

our archives. Browse through the Heritage Photo section at saitalumnilink.ca for a view into our past.

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PHOTO COURTESY SAIT ARCHIVES

ÂŹ EACH ISSUE the LINK will feature a photograph from

ACHIEVEMENTS SAIT Polytechnic and its students, staff and alumni are making strides in the community and around the world.

Here are some recent highlights:

STUDENTS

ALUMNI

Skills stars Students of SAIT’s Professional Cooking program claimed the podium in the culinary portion of the Skills Alberta Canada Competition last spring.

Madison Miller, Morgaine Johnson and Greg Ogston, placed first, second and third respectively in the culinary competition.

Miller went on to represent Alberta and SAIT at the Skills Canada National competition in Vancouver, where she also won gold.

Flood relief concert success Vic Close (BA ’75) raised more than $25,000 for the Red Cross flood relief effort and the Calgary Food Bank through a benefit concert hosted under the banner of his not-for-profit concert series, Fish Creek Concerts.

Business champion School of Business student, Jodie Kalbfeisch, brought home a bronze medal in the IT Software Solutions for Business category of the Skills Canada National Skills Competition held in Vancouver last June.

Opportunity by design Chris Fedyna, a firstyear student in SAIT’s Architectural Technologies program, earned a $1,200 scholarship for his first place entry during the Student House Design competition at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Calgary Region meeting last May. It was the first time in the competition‘s history that the first place finisher was selected unanimously by all 13 judges.

Culinary dream team takes gold A group from SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism brought home two gold medals after the prestigious Hong Kong International Culinary Classic 2013 late last spring. The group included team manager and SAIT culinary instructor Margaret Turner, team coach Dean Kanuit (PKC ‘88), server Michael Wrench (PKC ‘98), sommelier Kelvin So (PKC ‘01), cook and team captain Thuy Le Luong (PKC ‘01), and junior team member Valeria Juvanova (PKC ‘11).

Alumni rising Two SAIT alumni were deigned “Rising Stars”

by Canadian oil and gas magazine, Oilweek.

Lynette Lefsrud (BA ’97) director, Marketing, Research and Communications for Packers Plus Energy Services Inc. and Anna Bratland (CTSR ’04),

a social responsibility representative for Crescent Point Energy Corp., were both singled out for the honour, which highlights the achievements of up-andcoming professionals in the oil and gas industry.

SAIT Community spirit trio Last June, the Trojan Outreach Program, which sees athletes, coaches and teams giving back to the community, received its third Community Service Award from the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association. No other institute in the CCAA has won the award on three separate occasions.

Winning workplace… again SAIT’s has earned the title of Alberta’s Best Workplace for Training and Development for 2013, according to Venture Magazine. SAIT was chosen because of its opportunities for professional development, including the professional credential enhancement program, professional development courses and the free seat program, which lets employees enroll in some classes at no charge.

Culinary campus awards The Downtown Calgary Association presented SAIT’s Culinary Campus with a 2012 Vitality Award last May. The awards are given annually to businesses that make downtown a choice place to work, live and play.

The Campus has also been honoured with a 2013 Innovation of the Year Award from the international organization, the League for Innovation in the Community College.

Green recognition SAIT Polytechnic received the 2013 Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) Academic Leadership Award for its work in focusing on the environmental aspects of Alberta’s construction industry.

The award recognizes SAIT for educating architectural and construction students about sustainable design and construction.

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absolutely terrific. They treated us and all of the evacuees with compassion and dignity and provided such great service. Without exception her entire staff was fantastic! Stephanie even had her sister volunteering at the front desk and her father folding linen.

I can’t say enough about how they all helped to make a difficult situation so much better. I even overheard some of my East Village neighbors asking if they could stay at res rather than return to their home.”

I’d also like to add that the staff of Chartwells went above and beyond the call as well. They were so accommodating and understanding.

It made me really proud to be part of the SAIT family. Thanks so much to them all.”

Darwin Margate (featured, Spring 2013, LINK) was hired as an employee after his practicum at CCIS and Gibson Energy, and began his job as a project manager, June 10.

Darwin and his wife Isabel are the proud new parents of Darryl Margate, born July 15, 2013.

class NOTES 01 Robert Henry (Heavy duty mechanic ’69) writes “I’m looking for Ernie Anderson who kept me fed the winter of 68-69. The bologna sandwiches and apples will forever be remembered. Where are you buddy??”

02 Dyland Desmarais (NNT ‘08) has been working with Long View Systems for 5 years. He writes “It’s one of the BEST IT companies I’ve ever worked for in my short 18 years of work experience.”

03 Haley Lonsdale (HMGT ’10) writes “After graduating from SAIT, I moved to Victoria to complete the 2+2 program in the Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria. Keeping involved with Skills Canada, I participated in the National Youth Conference in Edmonton and went with Skills Canada to the APEC Youth Skills Camp in China last Summer. Currently working as a Sales & Conference Services Coordinator at the Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa, Victoria.”

04 Cindy Gillies, (CTSR ‘02) is a Broadcast Manager at the Calgary Stampede.

She works with local rights holders as well as CBC for the national broadcast of the parade, rodeo and GMC Rangeland Derby, in addition to producing video content for use across Stampede Park.

05 Calin Way (RTBN ’10) writes “after graduating I continued to work for AVW-Telav as a technician and then moved up to being an Assistant Operations

Manager. In February of 2013 I decided to leave AVW for a position at Mediaco Calgary. I am now a content coordinator creating and editing content for Mediaco’s clients.”

06 Graham Coskey (PET ’10) is currently working as an Implementation Consultant for Peloton Computer Enterprises Ltd. The former member of the Trojans Volleyball team now coaches volleyball at Western Canada High School.

He also plays in the band DangerFloyd.

07 Rob Sadowski (AMAP ’80, AMWP ’86), an alumnus of and instructor at SAIT, sent us this note to show his thanks for SAIT’s help during the floods. He writes: “I’d like to give a great big shout out to Stephanie Woods and all of her staff and volunteers in the SAIT residence.

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My wife and I were evacuated from our home because of the floods. By an odd turn of events we ended up at the SAIT res. Stephanie and her staff were

08 Joaquin Benitez (CVT ’86) now has a successful career in the Oil and Gas Industry and has written a book entitled The Foreclosure Phenomenon: How to Defend Your Home from an Impending Foreclosure.

09 Amir Shah Durrani (BAPT ’03) Received a job offer in Qatar Petroleum as Senior Production Engineer in the Production Department shortly after graduation from SAIT. He writes “It was the time when Mr. Alec Kerfoot was student coordinator and Mr. Doug Excel were main lecturers teaching many engineering subjects.

Please pay my regards to them if they are around and best wishes to all the SAIT team.”

10 Greg Sutton (WET ’95) recently met the requirements to practice mechanical engineering independently in the province of Alberta. The certifying association is the The Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET). He is classified as a Professional Technologist(Engineering), P.Tech.(Eng.). I work for Suncor Energy Inc. I am the Chief Inspector for the Fort Hills OSV project 11 John Chomiak (EDT ’61) recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of his association with

15 Chad Klepaychuk (ARFP ’12) may have just graduated from SAIT last year, but the 32-year-old Airdrie resident is ready to retire. In April, Klepaychuk won a $15.8-million share of a Lotto 6/49 jackpot. What will he do with all that cash?

“Semi-retire, maybe become a Snowbird?” he told the Calgary Herald. “New house, maybe an oceanfront home.”

16 Cam McDowell (BA ‘02) writes “I am a Financial Advisor with Scotiabank and have been with the bank for 11 years. I was hired out of SAIT after only three months and have been here ever since. The program was awesome and more than prepared me for my jobs with Scotia. I have been a leading sales officer for my region on a regular basis.”

Hemisphere Engineering, where he serves as President and CEO. He began working in 1962, overseeing the construction of Hillcrest School, widely acknowledged as the first “green” school in Canada for its ability to generate its own power, heat and air conditioning.

12 Nabila Guelli (PCK ’08) has returned from a brief stint cooking at a Moroccan resort to open Ratatouille Bistro, a 64-seat restaurant that serves classic French bistro cuisine in Britannia Plaza.

17 Len Perry (CTSR ’81) is currently Regional Vice-President of Radio and TV Operations, Prairies, for Bell Media. After attending SAIT, Perry worked as a runner on the Calgary Flames hockey broadcasts for the Canadian Sports Network.

18 Drew Gregory (GNT ’05) released the country and western album, The Way I Was Raised, last June. The 28-year-old singer/songwriter worked with musicians from Nashville and a Calgary recording company to produce the album.

19 Erin Cragg (Photography Certificate) writes “The teachers (in my program) were amazing. They enlightened my mind to a world of art and gave me the stepping stones to make my dreams come true… Today I own and operate Hazzardous Material, an alternative website dedicated to Band Photography and Dark Art (Alternative Pinup Models).

13 Tanya Lowry (nee Williams) (CTSR ’87) writes “I was in the Writer Producer Option at SAIT, however my life path went in another direction.

Life is absolutely wonderful and I hope yours is as well. Hope to connect again!”

14 Sharon McRee (RT ’94), works as a Respiratory Care Practitioner at Mission Hospital in North Carolina. She was recently recognized as Respiratory Care Practitioner of the Year for 2012. The North Carolina Society of Respiratory Care selected McRee because of the success of her lung procurement protocol, which has resulted in a significant increase in lung donations at the hospital.

I’ve been published twice, shoot some of the world’s biggest bands and a day does not go by I don’t thank the gods for the life given to me… I will never forget the advice of my teachers that photography is always changing… so learn all you can, go to local seminars and stay up on the latest trends. One thing that stuck with me was BRAND YOURSELF. Make it your own and stand out from the rest. I push the limits with my art. I’ve perfected light and love what I do. Today we are getting over 40,000 hits online and it all started with my education at SAIT.”

SHARE YOUR NEWS, STORIES AND MEMORIES WITH YOUR SAIT CLASSMATES. Email us at alumni@sait.ca or submit a note online on the Class Notes form at saitalumnilink.ca. link 47

FIRST COURTNEY PERSON GARLOUGH RTBN ‘09

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KATE KUNZ PHOTO

I

came to SAIT in 2008 and haven’t really left. I’ve gone from being a student to being President of SAIT’s Students’ Association to being an alumna and an employee. It’s not exactly what I expected when I first enrolled. IT’S WAY BETTER. I chose to study Radio, Television and Broadcast News basically because I really like talking to people. Since reporters talk to people all the time, I figured it was a perfect fit. Over the course of getting my diploma, I became involved in the Student’s Association and noticed that what I really like is speaking on behalf of people. I like providing a voice for people who might otherwise not have one.

While campaigning to become president of the Student’s Association, I also did a lot of listening. One thing that came through loud and clear from the apprentice students was that, since they’re only on campus for a short period of time, they didn’t really feel like part of the student body. Since apprentices make up a big part of the student body, I thought it important that they felt included, and got the benefits of being engaged. When I became Student President, I made sure I had a strong apprentice focus while lobbying for students.

That whole experience of lobbying the federal government on education issues was amazing. I even had a sit-down meeting with then Liberal MP Justin Trudeau. It was great to have these politicians take us seriously and listen to what we had to say. And when the federal government released the budget where our lobbying efforts had brought results — well that was a good feeling for sure.

All this talking and listening and realizing I was being heard got me excited about politics. I know I’m not quite ready yet, but I’d definitely like to see my name on a municipal election ballot sometime in the next 10 years.

For now, I’m focused on my position as the Student and New Alumni Coordinator for Alumni and Development.

Part of my job is to encourage new students to participate in campus life, and I think I have a good feel for what kind of initiatives are going to appeal to them. The other part is to motivate new alumni to want to stay engaged and, in turn, build pride in their education.

Through my various roles here I’ve gotten to know and appreciate SAIT from just about every angle. I’m a vocal advocate of my alma mater. My new job is about helping others feel the same way. TRUST ME. I’VE GOT THIS.

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